• News
    • Latest news
    • News search
    • Health
    • Finance
    • Food
    • Career news
    • Content series
    • Try Devex Pro
  • Jobs
    • Job search
    • Post a job
    • Employer search
    • CV Writing
    • Upcoming career events
    • Try Career Account
  • Funding
    • Funding search
    • Funding news
  • Talent
    • Candidate search
    • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Events
    • Upcoming and past events
    • Partner on an event
  • Post a job
  • About
      • About us
      • Membership
      • Newsletters
      • Advertising partnerships
      • Devex Talent Solutions
      • Contact us
Join DevexSign in
Join DevexSign in

News

  • Latest news
  • News search
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Career news
  • Content series
  • Try Devex Pro

Jobs

  • Job search
  • Post a job
  • Employer search
  • CV Writing
  • Upcoming career events
  • Try Career Account

Funding

  • Funding search
  • Funding news

Talent

  • Candidate search
  • Devex Talent Solutions

Events

  • Upcoming and past events
  • Partner on an event
Post a job

About

  • About us
  • Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising partnerships
  • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Contact us
  • My Devex
  • Update my profile % complete
  • Account & privacy settings
  • My saved jobs
  • Manage newsletters
  • Support
  • Sign out
Latest newsNews searchHealthFinanceFoodCareer newsContent seriesTry Devex Pro
    • News
    • Business Advice

    Doing business with USAID: A competitive process guide

    According to USAID officials, the agency has begun to streamline and strengthen its competitive processes in order to ensure results and also achieve value for money.

    By Ezekiel Carlo Orlina // 25 April 2014
    Shortly after starting his term as the new administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Rajiv Shah initiated his own reform agenda. Dubbed USAID Forward, the initiative hinges on three underlying principles: ▪ Deliver results on a meaningful scale through a strengthened USAID. ▪ Promote sustainable development through high-impact partnerships. ▪ Identify and scale up innovative, breakthrough solutions to intractable development problems. Of these three points, the push to develop stronger partnerships has drawn the most attention from the development community, as it entails increasing USAID engagement with local implementers in partner countries. In sync with many leading voices in the U.S development community, USAID officials made the case that the premier U.S. aid agency must increase its investments in local institutions in order to build local capacity and strengthen country ownership. Last year, Shah claimed the agency awarded $745 million worth of contracts to local institutions in 2012, up 50 percent from 2010. At the same time, a number of U.S. small businesses have told Devex that they have been finding it harder to win USAID projects — a direct consequence, they say, of USAID Forward. Against the backdrop of budget concerns in Washington, USAID Forward’s commitment to deliver results is also under increasing scrutiny. According to USAID officials, the agency has begun to streamline and strengthen its competitive processes in order to ensure results and also achieve value for money. In the past, the U.S. aid agency has drawn criticism from some implementers for delays and bureaucratic hurdles in its procurement process. The infographic below provides a basic guide to USAID’s acquisition and assistance processes. Read more: ▪ Top USAID contract awardees: A primer ▪ Top USAID grant implementers: A primer Join the Devex community and access more in-depth analysis, breaking news and business advice — and a host of other services — on international development, humanitarian aid and global health.

    Shortly after starting his term as the new administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Rajiv Shah initiated his own reform agenda. Dubbed USAID Forward, the initiative hinges on three underlying principles:

    ▪ Deliver results on a meaningful scale through a strengthened USAID.
    ▪ Promote sustainable development through high-impact partnerships.
    ▪ Identify and scale up innovative, breakthrough solutions to intractable development problems.

    Of these three points, the push to develop stronger partnerships has drawn the most attention from the development community, as it entails increasing USAID engagement with local implementers in partner countries. In sync with many leading voices in the U.S development community, USAID officials made the case that the premier U.S. aid agency must increase its investments in local institutions in order to build local capacity and strengthen country ownership.

    This article is free to read - just register or sign in

    Access news, newsletters, events and more.

    Join usSign in
    • Institutional Development
    • Trade & Policy
    • Funding
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).

    About the author

    • Ezekiel Carlo Orlina

      Ezekiel Carlo Orlina

      Ezekiel is a Senior Development Analyst and Team Leader at Devex. His primary role is monitoring and reporting on project opportunities and trends of leading multilateral and bilateral donor agencies. A graduate of Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Political Science, Ezekiel has extensive global development research experience having also worked at the World Youth Alliance, Asia and the Pacific (WYAAP).

    Search for articles

    Related Stories

    Devex NewswireDevex Newswire: A high-level purge at USAID leaves many stunned

    Devex Newswire: A high-level purge at USAID leaves many stunned

    The future of US aidScoop: USAID issues staff guidance on DEIA, foreign aid pause orders

    Scoop: USAID issues staff guidance on DEIA, foreign aid pause orders

    The future of US aidScoop: USAID Kenya partner has ‘no funds’ to carry out PEPFAR waiver

    Scoop: USAID Kenya partner has ‘no funds’ to carry out PEPFAR waiver

    The Trump effectChaos, staff cuts have 'degraded' USAID's ability to vet terrorist ties

    Chaos, staff cuts have 'degraded' USAID's ability to vet terrorist ties

    Most Read

    • 1
      How low-emissions livestock are transforming dairy farming in Africa
    • 2
      The UN's changing of the guard
    • 3
      Opinion: Mobile credit, savings, and insurance can drive financial health
    • 4
      Opinion: India’s bold leadership in turning the tide for TB
    • 5
      The top local employers in Europe
    • News
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    • Talent
    • Events

    Devex is the media platform for the global development community.

    A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. We invite you to join us.

    • About us
    • Membership
    • Newsletters
    • Advertising partnerships
    • Devex Talent Solutions
    • Post a job
    • Careers at Devex
    • Contact us
    © Copyright 2000 - 2025 Devex|User Agreement|Privacy Statement